Fabric trimming mechanism



Feb. 13, 1951 v. J. SIGODA FABRIC TRIMMING MECHANISM Filed July 31, 1946 INVENTOR V/c T01? 11 51600.4

BY my% Patented Feb. 13, 1951 FABRIC TRIMMING MECHANISM Victor J. Sigoda, Great Neck, N. Y., assignor to Man-Sew Corporation, New York, N. Y., a cornotation of New York Application July 31, 1946, Serial No. 687,455

Claims. (Cl. 164--64) This invention relates to fabric trimming or pinking mechanism, the subject matter ofthis application being a continuation-in-part of my pending application Serial No. 630,635, filed November 24, 1945.

It is the general object and purpose of the present invention to provide a novel-mounting and arrangement of a rotatively mounted pinking member or cutter and cooperating ledger blade having a part in normal bearing contact with the cutter at the axis thereof, together with novel tension regulating means connected with said blade and yieldingly resisting movement thereof from such normal position in the shearing coaction of the cutting edges of the rotatable cutting and ledger blade.

i Another object is to provide for the ledger blade a tension regulating means of simple and inexpensive construction, embodying means whereby the tensional pressure between the shearing edges of the blade and cutting member may be quickly and accurately adjusted as required to obtain a clean, sharp pinking cut of materials of widely varying structural characteristics.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of adjustable means to compensate for wear of the relatively movable parts, with means for limiting the maxi-mum tensional pressure of the ledger blade to prevent excessive resistance to rotation of the pinking cutter.

With the above and other subordinate objects in view, the invention comprises the improved trimming'mechanism and the construction and relative arrangement of its several parts as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a top plan view showing one cooperative mounting of the rotatable cutter and ledger blade with the improved tension regulating means for the latter.

"Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the line 2--2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tension regulating device taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional-view taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Figure .Referringinlfurther detail to the drawing. the Pinking iem s ount .upon, suitable in the bed I0. Rearwardly of the bearing 20, the

member I6 is provided with the opening 24.

The cutter carrying member I 6 is also formed at the opposite sides thereof with longitudinally extending means for slidably guiding the ledger blade 26 upon the upper surface of the base plate I2. This blade at its forward end is provided with a recessed nose piece 28 offset from the plane of the blade and movable in the opening 22 in base plate I2. This nose piece is formed with a V- shaped notch providing shearing edges 30 and at the rear end of one of said shearing edges with a.

point or apex 32 substantially in alignment with. the axis of the cutter shaft bearing 29.

In the bearing 20, the cutter shaft 34 is journalled and provided at its forward end with the cutting or pinking member 36 having pinking teeth 38 projecting axially of the shaft 34, each tooth having cutting edges 4!] to coact with the shearing edges 30 on the nose piece 28 of the ledger blade. It will be noted from reference to Figure 2 of the drawings that the point or apex 32 of the ledger blade is in normal hearing contact with the rotary cutting member 35 axially thereof. Preferably, between the rear side of the cuttingmember 36 and bearing 23 an annularlint and waste deflecting member 42 is inter-- posed.

To the rear end of cutter shaft 34 the driving shaft 44 is connected by means of the universal joint 46. This shaft 44 may be driven through suitable gearing from the operating motor of a sewing machine, or other convenient source 0 power. For the purposeof regulating the bearing pressure of the ledger blade against the cutter member 36 and the resistance to movement thereof relative to the cutter in the shearing coaction of the edges of the cutter teeth with the edges 30 on the ledger blade, I provide a tension adjusting or regulating device for the ledger blade having'certain improved features, whereby a more accurate adjustment may be obtainedin accordange with the nature or structural charmember.

3 pinked. As herein shown, this tension regulator is mounted upon a bracket arm 48 projecting upwardly and forwardly from the rear end of the cutter carrying member iii and comprises a cylinder 59 supported upon the rear side of the bracket 58 and held against rotation relative thereto by suitable pins or studs indicated at 52 fixed in the bottom wall of the cylinder and ex: tending into suitable apertures in the bracket 48.

. This bottom wall of the cylinder is provided with an opening 54 to register with an opening in the end of the bracket 48 and slidably receive the adjustable rod 56 having an eye 58 on its lower end through which the upper end of a vertically innclined pin 60 fixed to the ledger blade 26 extends.

A second cylinder 62 is slidably engaged with in the cylinder 50, the outer end wallof said cylinder 62 having an opening 64 through which the rod 56 is received. A spring 65 enclosed within the cylinders es and 62 yieldingly urges the cylinder 62 upwardly and outwardly from the cylinder at. Ihe cylindrical wall of cylinder 322 is externally provided with a longitudinal keyway 68 receiving the pin or key on the wall of cylinder 5b to prevent rotary movement of cylinder 62 and maintain accurate alignment of a calibrated scale 14 on' the surface of said cylinder with a sight opening '52 in the wall of cylinder 50.

This scale is indicative of the various tensional pressure values appropriate for different kinds of materials.

The upper end of the rod 56 is threaded as shown at 16 and receives the adjustable member 18 having bearing contact at one of its ends against the upper end of cylinder t2, the other end of said member being formed with a peripherally knurled flange or head 80 for convenient operation thereof. An adjustable limiting screw 82 is also threaded in the member 18 in coaxial alignment with rod 56 whereby the inward movement of cylinder 62 on the rod and the compression of the spring 66 is limited. 7 This screw is secured in adjusted position by a suitable lock nut 84.

From the above description, it will be readily seen that by adjusting the member 18 on the end of rod 56, the cylinder 62 may be moved axially into the cylinder '5!) to vary the tension of the spring 66, and thereby regulate the shearing pressure of the edges 313 of the ledger blade against the cutting edges 4!! of the cutter teeth 38 in the rota tion of the latter. By the provision of the calibrated scale '14 this adjustment may be accurately controlled and determined by the operator to provide the necessary Shearing pres sure to obtain a clean sharp shearing cut of the particular material being pinked.

, The adjustable stop screw 82 effectively limits the maximum shearing pressure which may be applied and thus prolongs the life of the cutting edges of the ledger blade and rotary cutting From time to time this screw may be easily and quickly adjusted to compensate for wear of the relatively movable parts. The pins or studs 52 prevent rotation of cylinder 58 in the adjustment of the tension regu ating cylinder 7 spring 66 effectively obviates the possibility of excessive bearing pressure by point or apex 32.01?v the ledger blade against the rotary cutter tt-i'n' the normal position of the blade, which would tend to retard or resist the rotary movement of the cutter.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that I have provided a simple and novel arrangement of the rotary cutter member and ledger blade with means for quickly and accurately regulating the shearing pressure of the latter, all carried by the base plate 12 forming a com- 3 pletely assembled attachment which may be readily mounted in operative position upon the table or bed plate II]. By the provision of the improved tension regulating or adjusting device above described having the calibrated scale indicative. of the shearing pressure values for various different kinds of materials, guesswork'is eliminated, and the proper adjustment can be quickly and accurately made without requiring unusual manual dexterity or skill. Maximum effectiveness of the shearing edges to produce a high quality product "with longperiods of continuous operation before re-sharpening of the cutting edges is required, is also realized by means of the present invention; The several cooperating parts are of durable structural form and capable of easy and quick assembly in an efficiently functioning organization.

This invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the

scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing:

- United States Letters Patent is:

1. In fabric trimming mechanism, a ledger blade movable in a horizonal plane, a cutting member and means mounting said member for rotation about an-axis disposed longitudinally of til.

the blade and in fixed intersecting relation to the ledger blade, said member and blade having coacting cutting edges, and adjustable means operatively connected to the ledger blade to yieldingly urge said blade into substantially con-' stant bearing contact with the cutting member at its axis of rotation and maintain a predetermined resistance to shearing 'pressure'of the cutting edge of the blade with the cutting edge of said cutting member in the rotation of the latter, together with means controlling the efi'ec tive operation of said adjustable means to establish a maximum predetermined bearing and shearing pressure of the ledger blade with the rotary cutting member. a

2. In fabric trimming mechanism, a ledger blade movable in a horizontal plane, a cutting member and means mounting said member for rotation in. intersecting relation to the ledger blade, said member and blade having coasting cutting edges, a fixed cylinder mounted above the ledger. blade, an axially movable cylinder in said fixed cylinder, a compression Spring within said cylinders, a rodextendin'g through said cylinders and spring operatively connected atone end to the ledger'blade, and a manually adjustable member threaded on the other end of said rod in bearing contact with said tensional resistance of said spring? '3. The fabric trimming mechanism as defined in claim 2, wherein said fixed cylinder is provided with a sight opening and said axially movable cylinder is provided on its periphery with a calibrated scale of shearing pressure values in alignment with said opening.

4. The fabric trimming mechanism as defined in claim 2, together with an independently adjustable element carried by said adjustable member, adapted to engage said rod and limit operation of said member and the maximum tensional resistance of the spring to movement of the ledger blade.

5. A tension regulating device for yieldably restraining movement of a member from normal position comprising a pair of telescoped cylinders adapted to be mounted in fixed relation to said member, coacting means carried by said cylinders to prevent relative rotation thereof and guide the axial movement of one cylinder relative to the other, a coiled spring housed within said cylinders and yieldingly resisting axial movement of said one cylinder, a rod extending axially through said cylinders and spring having means at one end for connection with said memher, an adjusting nut threaded on the other VICTOR J. SIGODA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,876,138 Fassett Sept. 6, 1932 1,909,346 Gruman May 16, 1933 1,941,858 Gosman Jan. 2, 1934 1,950,882 Gianini Mar. 13, 1934 1,989,596 Horn Jan. 29, 1935 2,095,647 Mann Oct. 12, 1937 2,105,184 Crewdson Jan. 11, 1938 2,301,229 Sigoda Nov. 10, 1942 2,489,163 Schwimmer Nov. 22, 1949 

